Dane walked to the funeral home as the man he encountered today told him to. The idea of something existing amongst humans pushed Dane to follow the scribbled down letter like a fool.
Reaching the funeral home at the head of the hill, he looked around, trying to ease his tension. It was foggy. It was dark and haunted.Suddenly, Dane hears the noise of bone crunching. It was similar to the sound from rustling leaves…but only more precise to bone fractures.Because he could smell death and blood from over his shoulder.He dared to turn around.Only to see…Five monstrous transformations feasting on a dead body!And the dead body…even with the face chewed out, he could make it out who it was!IT WAS THE MAD MAN WHO GAVE HIM THE LETTER!Dane sprinted out of the funeral house with his life in his hands! The monsters noticed him, and started chasing him as well!But as soon as Dane ran past the gates of the funeral house, the monsters disappeared! Not even their shadows were left behind! However, Dane was too shaken up to even think straight. He ran and ran, and ran.Dane was robbed of peace and tranquility for the entire night. He couldn't fathom what he witnessed. Was he dreaming, or was it real?He ran from the funeral house like there was no tomorrow. His legs gave out as he missed the route to his own house. Dane entered a different lane than usual.He couldn't contact the police either. Somehow his mobile and laptop had lost connection to the outside world. He didn't even want to go to his own house!He needed company.His shaky fists rapped on the door of a lonely house in the middle of the yard. She lived in a farmhouse given to her by her parents. It was quite decent with a cottage touch.A giant forest patch extended just over the farmland behind the house!"Ruth!?" He yelled her name.If it wasn't for his girlfriend living inside, he would've been scared to death just by the view around him. It was an eerie place for him, especially after what he witnessed a while ago."Coming!~" His sweet girlfriend's melodic voice greeted him. For someone being a goody two shoes, she sounded super active in the middle of the night."Ruth!" He yelled again. When Ruth opened the door, she saw the distraught man looking everywhere around himself. He was covered in a layer of sweat."Whoa. What's wrong?" She asked."M-M-M-MONSTERS! RUTH, THERE ARE MONSTERS AROUND HERE AND THEY'RE FUCKING REAL!." He screamed to justify himself. However, Ruth's eyes lit up as it scared Dane.'Why was she wide-eyed and amused rather than being shocked!? They're monsters, dammit! Not some toys she thinks she can play with!' Dane thought about her in his mind. But all she had to say after was,"One of those lonely days again?" She stepped outside, holding his sweaty face with her sweater paws."No, Ruth! I'm not lying! ." He somehow convinced himself to tell anything about the two incidents. If not her, who else could believe him? But it looks like she dismisses him too. Like she thinks HE is the mad man."Mhmm," Ruth licked her lips, smiling slyly. Ruth dismissed his craziness, and reached for his lips, began kissing him like an enchantress. Dane could feel his thoughts leaving his head. Everything he ever witnessed seemed to have been dismissed into thin air.Ruth kissed him passionately, but it was unnecessary. And he wasn't convinced enough with himself of his witness! Those were monsters...right? If he told Ruth about it, she would laugh at his face and give him a piece of reality. Again.But…Monsters are fiction...right?When Dane came back to his senses, he pushed the woman away from himself."What are you doing?" She looked at him, wiping the corners of her mouth which was glistening with their kiss."Kissing my boyfriend? Just come inside, will you? Work is stressing the hell out of you." Ruth said while shaking her head."A-Alright~" But, he slept with a mind scrambled like eggs.Those monsters he saw there…they were real. Right?The next evening, Ruth and Dane went to a little party together. It was from Ruth's company innovation launch party and Dane - who wasn't from the more 'lighter' employee demands like hers - became her twirling cohort accompaniment."Cheers." He said to the old man before turning to his beautiful girlfriend dressed in a bright yellow dress. He, on the other hand, wore a white shirt, tucked into a pair of maroon pants. He couldn't put too much effort into looking good. Especially after the nightmare of a 4DX dream he had last night."This is my last cheers of the night, Ruth. Let's go back home.""And have more fun?" Asked Ruth, making Dane roll his eyes. He took his hand out of his pocket to hold her hand. As a dutiful boyfriend, he must satisfy her to the best of his abilities. And he nodded with a sigh."Fun? Are you kidding me right now, Ruth? You're going home to get screwed—?"Ruth hissed at how loud her best friend — Charlize was, "Do you need a fucking mic, Liz!?"Charlize was a typical third wheel with Dane and Ruth. Annoying and chill. Charlize and Ruth have been best friends since high school. Now that they're all of the same age, Charlize tried to be friends with Dane as well.But Dane was your typical introvert with no strong friendship bonds or whatsoever. Charlize almost convinced Ruth to leave Dane.Because Charlize realizes something about the two.One was a creature so vile that humanity is terrified of it. And the other one…is its ultimate hunter. But Charlize never talked to them about her current profession.They wouldn't think it was real."No, but I do need a ride back home, love. And you're driving. Be our chauffeur." Demanded Charlize, wanting Ruth to drive. Completing his celebratory glass of champagne in one gulp, Dane deduced,All through their conversation, Dane stayed silent and found a newfound interest at staring on other peoples' shoes.After yesterday's nightmare of events, Dane was dejected from feeling normal and hence needed some more slacking off. Be it by any means."So!" Ruth asked suddenly, beaming out of the blue. The poor man was watching out at the evening sky filled with blue vastness. And he jumped."Mind telling me what you'll buy for me next week, Dane dear?""...what is next week?""...my birthday."In the car, Ruth began blabbering about her skittish interest in buying new clothes and jewelry. It was any other day for Dane. She's an independent woman and she can do anything with what she earns. The problem was raised when she started expecting expensive gifts from him.In his three years of dating her, he's never found a more terrible reason to break up with her. Why was he keeping up with her then?Because she filled a void in his lonely heart.She crept up and removed all the junk from his nonchalant past for him. That's why he stays loyal, more like a dog than a man."Oh my God, Dane! Wake up! Argh! You've been so distant with me ever since you ran up to my house last night in the middle of my beauty sleep!" He looked at her side-eyed. No. She did not sound sleepy when she welcomed him inside."Wait. What!?" Charlize yelled in excitement. She wanted to know the whole story!"Dane!""WHAT!?" He finally snapped back. The car grew silent as Ruth took a small curve into another route.Of course, no one noticed.Charlize felt like a third wheel between them for the first time in her life. If she could, she would jump out of the car right away. But it was too late.The street looked gloomy and the apartments were slowly scaling down to small huts and lastly barren, fenced lands.They entered a tunnel, a huge highway passing over it. The tunnel was rather long and unlit even though they were sockets for light bulbs along the curved walls. And then..."I saw monsters last night. And I'm not fucking delusional." The man repeats himself. Ruth pressed her feet on the brakes way too hard. Charlize was almost repositioned on the car as she yelled at the now-silent Ruth."What the hell, Ruth!? Ow...I could've gotten my head exploded!" Exclaimed Dane. He held the seat belt behind him, ready to clasp it over his chest.But Ruth's demonic voice suddenly made the air feel dense and uneasy around them.The gale was fast and furious as it brought a shimmering amount of mist and barren land dust with it through the tunnel. They were all smart enough to close all the windows of the car beforehand. It was late in the night after all.The night cannot be trusted."R-Ruth...?"Dane noticed an unnoticed scar, similar to a decade-old bruising on her neck. It kept creeping over her cheek. It was blue…and purple…and had scales.And her teeth were barred, a sickly smile on her face. Saliva was oozing out of her mouth. Charlize didn't like it when her best friend was smiling like that. She was watching her transformation from the rear view mirror.Suddenly, a low snarl mixed with a terribly pitched growl makes Dane hold himself back from touching his girlfriend."Ruth!" He screamed at her, fiddling harshly with the door handle. The headlights were the only source of light all over the tunnel.Dane was reliving his fright all over again. It was as if the nights despised him."Ruth—!" A loud gasp left his mouth as he tried to corner away from her in the cramped space of the car."Tell me, Dane..." She turned to him, the smile plastered on her face again,"Did the monsters look like...this?"Related Chapters
MONSTER HUNTING An unthinkable sacrifice
Panic.Panic spreads all over his body when he hears her gruff voice. It was as if a soul had taken over her body. Ruth looked exactly like a possessed demon, like a monster and her aura shifted to something superficially sinister. Who is possessing her!? Or even better- What was possessing her!?Dane couldn't believe his eyes either. Ut was as if the thin line between reality and fiction has disappeared and the memories will forever clme to haunt him in the worst ways possible. 'This can't be, right? Ruth and I...we have so many plans together. I want to spend my whole life with her, rare a family with her...''All my middle class dreams end with the sight in front of me. For I can never let myself marry a monster."A blood curdling scream leaves his mouth when Ruth pounces on him. Her claws almost get him under her vicious grip. She was close to having him as her next target!Charlize was shaken too, but it looked as though Charlize was coming up to make a hard decision. But Dane
MONSTER HUNTING Tell me everything, Charlize
Sick and battered, Charlize carried Dane's weak butt around while tailoring a perfect story to come up with. However, their perfectly unified story is capable of fooling anyone, but not this city's police officers. Passing by the hospital, claiming for an emergency, Charlize began her act. It was all pre-planned, and now they only had to act.Although half of the acting was real since they were truly mourning for the loss of Ruth. Especially Dane who didn't understand an ounce of what was going on around him. The poor man was another traumatic trigger away from going insane."Whoa," The receptionist screeched at their battered appearance. Not many people walk themselves to an emergency 24/7 hospital unit very often. And the situation was made worse when he sees blood on both of their clothes.The receptionist was a man working late at night. He immediately dialed the emergency doctor and nurses to check into the situation. The squad came into the lounge within a minute. He also speed
MONSTER HUNTING Monsters vs Humans
Serving Dane a cup of hot chocolate, Charlize sat beside him on the couch. She was trying to keep things together, when all were falling apart. "Did you know Ruth was a monster before you were friends?" Dane asked, after blowing on his cup gently. Charlize nodded her head as he scoffed."That's why it was so easy for you to kill her. Didn't it mean anything to you, Charlize?""Like I said, Dane. My duty overpowers the need for friendship and love. My duty—""Fuck your duty!" Dane threw the glass on the ground, spilling hot brown liquid everywhere. He rushed to the other room and locked the door. As if even electricity wanted to give up on him, the lights are turned off by a power cut. "Just great." He mumbled to himself, his left elbow bent over his forehead. 'Ruth…you were my everything. Whoever did this to us…deserves retribution. Even if it is the creator or the destroyer of worlds. I'll seek vengeance from whoever took you away from me.'Dane cried for a few minutes, uninterrup
MONSTER HUNTING Hot Dr. Chen
With the sun had finally come up, Dane started closing his eyes. He hasn't slept a wink for the whole night! Charlize watching him sleep made her sleepy as well. She would rather skip work and 'mourn' for her friend, staying back home. But not before covering Dane with a blanket to make him feel cozy to finally slip into slumber. While Dane slept peacefully after a night - a week of wholesome and gruesome incidents, Charlize got up and started preparing for a bath.She didn't realize she still had the blood stains of the monster on her clothes. Thank god they were dark colored - or the police might have another round of questions ready for her. Taking a long, warm shower in her bathroom, she tried to relax her mind from vile thoughts. What if it wad just some random person instead of Ruth? Would it have been more easier to drive the rebar in their chest or harder than she did it with Ruth? She couldn't decide.Fifteen minutes pass, but the time only seemed ticking faster on her wat
MONSTER HUNTING I am a what now?
"Yo, Dane. Stop staring at her." The man was staring at the doctor nonetheless. He was infatuated. Despite being thrown out of an intense relationship because of his girlfriend's death, Dane still loved being around women.Or maybe it was the feeling of falling in love all over again that excited him. Shamelessly.Or that he just wants to sex her up. Dr. Chen turns to Dane, running her eyes up and down his seated figure. He looked fine. He looked more than average, actually. "Dane—!""What is your full name, boy?" The woman asked Dane who furrowed his eyebrows. "Dane Summers..." he answers, not understanding her question. Because he was sure Charlize had already introduced him before, uttering the same name. Dr. Chen stared at him nonchalantly. There's no way a normal human like Dane can be so dumb. "Full name, Dane Summers. Full. Name." Dr. Chen was sounding pissed. She gave the man one more chance to prove himself. If he doesn't, she's going to take the universal sign and leave
MONSTER HUNTING Sparkling sword of Dr. Chen
Dane was terrorized by the presence of such women around him. One was a monster, her best friend's a psycho mass murderer who can plan an 'accident' so well that she can fool the police. And the other one - her boss, apparently - is one of the most psycho personalities he's ever seen in anyone else.A diamond sword!?Shivering in his timbers, his body was curled up inside the warm blanket he carried from the bedroom to the hall. The TV was playing a Bible in full volume, reading the notes and explaining it precisely. "What the fuck man...?" He expressed his distaste in the narrator's reading. He was monotonous, much more like a donkey bred with a man and gave him the interest in preaching the Holy Bible. But, changing channels now was like suicide. He was too paranoid to even move an inch. He shouldn't realize that someone close to him was a monster, right?Seemed like an easy task.Until it did not.What if he went across a public street, suddenly realized how many monsters would
MONSTER HUNTING Suck it up, 'cause you're a man
Many emotions surfaced in his mind. He didn't know his parents would miss him just as much as he did. All he wanted was their presence.But he couldn't say much. They'd take him as a girly gay boy if he cried in their lap and told them everything that's happened to him. Hence, he chose not to tell anything to his parents. No matter how 'lovely' they are.However, they sniffed the air around him instead of giving him a hug. They looked at each other. Quietly and talking through their eyes, wordlessly. "Mom? Dad? What's wrong?" He asked them, trying to hide the tears by faking to look at the spider web on the ceiling."Nothing, son. You didn't lift your phone. We tried calling you many times." The mother indicated. "Oh...that. I left it at my friend's house. In fact, I just returned from her house." "It's a her?" The dad questioned immediately. Dane turned around, giving his father a look, "We're just friends, dad."Sure. Charlize was one heck of a friend.Helping them carry a few
MONSTER HUNTING An awakened human!?
Dane glared down his mother about her words. An awakened human!? A stink!?"Ma! What are you-" Dane suddenly realised about his fate. His parents no longer remain human, but that also means...he has the blood of monsters coursing through his veins!?The last thing he wanted in the whole damn world to turn into a monster. A monster that forced him to spill the blood of his own girlfriend, few hours ago."M-Mom! Get down! We- we can talk about this! Please don't kill me! I'm your son!""That is purely why we must feast on you, son. You smell so fresh, and young.""And meaty," his father added. The two monsters, his parents who stuck against the wall began crawling towards him. At this moment, Dane couldn't figure out what to do. It's almost as if his mind had completely detached itself from his body, and he couldn't wait to die rather than go through this kind of feat all over again.Ruth's monster awakening was more than shaking to the poor man.He doesn't even love his parents as much!
Latest Chapter
- MONSTER HUNTING
Old Man was murdered!
Seems like the Eliminator had noticed them! Upon seeing Alex and Dane rush up towards him, the monster shapeshifted into human skin bites its bottom lip. 'Why aren't we allowed to use our powers here again?' Asked Dane to Athena.'Because we don't want to cause panic within the audience. Besides, did i just hear that right? Old Man was murdered and was left to rot?''Yeah. That's the base of what Alex said. Besides, we're chasing it now. It's walking towards some little hallway. We hope we can catch up.''Right. Chadwick is coming your way too. Don't let the monster escape again. Even if we have to tear this place down with a fight, we will. That monster needs to be taken down at all costs.' Said Athena in their joint resonance.'Understood.' Replying to her instructions in unison, the group dispersed to corner the monster. To catch it and enquire a lot, lot things about it's species.'It's gone into the hallway. Dane has eyes on it.''You know it's going to disappear in a flash, rig
- MONSTER HUNTING
Old Man
"Might as well begin searching for him in the crowd if that's the case. If it can shapeshift...so should we. It's main target, is me." Dane concludes. Athena sighs as she tries to explain the situation to Dane."How do I know what is the real monster if I can't even sense it? This is a ridiculous job.""That's weird coming from you, Athena." Dane furrowed his eyebrows."Lady Athena seems different today. What happened to you, Lady Athena?" "Shouldn't I feel bothered that this monster is slowly becoming much untraceable and powerful than us? It's uncanny. It shouldn't be this way. Hunting is supposed to just...happen. All of this doesn't happen in Monster Hunting." Alex clicks his tongue at Athena's words."Well, welcome to the world of brains then. We use it to hunt, too." Dane wanted to laugh at how witty Alex had sounded. But he knew his own lover would be disappointed with him. Sulking in a corner and all."Whatever. Just let me know what are we doing to hunt this monster down."
- MONSTER HUNTING
Downgrading to trace
Dane was about to walk away when Athena quickly reached out for his arm. Looking over his shoulder, he spoke."I'm going to go there alone, Athena. No one can stop me. Not you either." "I know I can't stop you. He's got on our nerves for sure. But what you can do is let us on this mission as well. You, me, Charlize, Makio and Joule. Maybe Johan and Luke Crysalis too." "What about Chadwick?" Dane immediately enquired."Him too. Because we need to travel at the speed of light, to chase that monster down. Now, I know this monster looks like it likes to play games, but isn't that too much for a mere monster? I feel as if we're trying to hunt nothing.""You think it'll be an easy task because it's a bloody, low grade monster, Athena?" Turning around, Dane looked into her eyes. She nods softly."But weren't you the one who's told me 'never underestimate your opponents'?" "Right...thank you for humbling me." The woman was clearly annoyed. She walked past him while Dane lifts his head to l
- MONSTER HUNTING
Untraceable
"We've lost it! I can't believe we lost it!" Dane held himself back from punching or even stomping the ground for he could demolish the whole building, taking down the residents of it with himself. "You need to calm down, Dane.""The fuck I cannot, Dane. It's an important asset! A new kind that has become such a menace! You know how menacing lightspeed is yourself. And it's punches, it's fight is at least Athena's level."'Liz, I hope you're keeping track of where this monster goes, right?' 'You mean by seeing who it kills next? I'm keeping the face match on.''Okay. The moment you know it's killed someone...and drank their blood. Let me know. At this point, if it keeps killing monster hunters with powers, it'll grow undefeatable. I'm afraid even I—''What are you talking about? That's not the prophecy I know about you! Stop yapping like a child and come back here so we can send you back to where it'll attack next.''Yes.'"You heard her, right Chad?""Yeah. At times of dilemma, yo
- MONSTER HUNTING
A new Kind of monster
Furrowing his eyebrows, Dane didn't really get the signal from Dylan. Why would he need to a build a new counter attack in the robots if monster hunters were more than enough to end monsters?"It's simple logic, thick-skull. My warriors don't have resonances. Chimera do, not my warriors." Dane felt like the most stupid imp ever. Sitting down on the chair again, he questioned Dylan, yet again. "So what do you plan on doing with these?""Create stability. Some monsters could evolve to hide their resonances from us. But my warriors will distinguish them by their attitude. It's easier to find a monster in a crowd full of people than find a human in a crowd full of monsters." Dane jumped his eyebrows at Dylan Dian."That's very much true. And oddly...philosophical. Well, I give you permission to upgrade every single one of them and send them across the globe. Or do you test the prototype first?" "The latter, then the first suggestion. I'd send them without your permission or grant anyway.
- MONSTER HUNTING
Someone is fooling us
Around three weeks after the incident, the monster hunting headquarters was stable with minimal case reports recorded ever. There were barely any monsters emerging from the dead and deed. It felt...blissful."How many cases today?" To the beeping sounds of machines, Charlize asks as she sits over the cushion of a chair opposite to it. Munching on a small snack she could afford from a vending machine, she placed her legs on the desk and waited for the numbers to show up."45 since morning, huh? Well, it's evening already." Charlize then looked down at her lap."Or is this a sign that something big is coming, again? Like the calm before a storm?" "What are you mumbling to yourself there, love?" Dylan Dian speaks after hearing her from the distance. "Thank you for the tea, Dylan." The man chuckles at how she dismisses him. "It's not the calm before the storm. Trust me. This is...peace." Charlize stares into his grey eyes as he nods."Believe it or not. With the power we now have, mons
- MONSTER HUNTING
Everyday is a war
"Did you...hear her?" Holding the glass of champagne in his hand, Dane turned to the sound of her. She looked normal, but her heart was thudding out of her chest. Walking into his embrace as they view the ocean, breathing its mist, Athena waits for his response."I did. I am not shaken. This doesn't feel like new information for me. That power...it seemed alien in many ways." Explained he."I see. Even I couldn't...""Don't think about it, Athena. It's going to keep killing you until you finally realize how worthless you are.""You are forcing me to think about the same, Dane. Thank you for the word, too. Worthless." Athena scoffed. "But...don't you think we should start investigating?" "How would we do that if we can't even track where it has come from? The monster wouldn't open it's mouth even by a bit. It's...resisting every torture method, healing at the speed of light. No drugs work on it either because it isn't from earth. There are several earth element users who kept it locke
- MONSTER HUNTING
There are more tiers
'So that is what you meant...alright.'He breathes calmly and runs his finger along the blade which glows black. The slash he made through the monster's chest defeated it, but it was kept alive. "I believe you are made of water as well. Let me manipulate your molecules to follow my command..." Dane's Force-Human form brought darkness to the clouds. His powers were...increasing. "I feel a nasty amount of Force oozing out of him. What did he do...?" Joule asked Makio Chen. The woman shook her head, having no idea of what she saw either. "I don't know what is going on, but it looks like Dane just won." Keeping his eye on the monster, Dane slowly turned his gaze to look at Athena. She just stood, recovered from her injuries as she stared at him. He flew towards her, slowly getting his human self back."Hi..." he slowly uttered to greet her yet again. They've been apart for a few days, but it felt like an eternity. "See. Like I said...it's just the beginning. This thing inside me...it
- MONSTER HUNTING
Revelations
The monster turned around, having had a layer of its back blasted off by Dane. It smirked, looking at his levitating figure with amusement like no other."So you are finally here...""Yes. I am. You called me here. You summoned me here...by hurting the people I love the most.""Oh? Her? You're talking about this...wimp?" Dane glared at the monster who picked up Athena again. The poor woman was already in pain, her muscles and bones shifting to recover. The monster crushes her again, almost bursting her head off. Dane couldn't tolerate her blood curdling scream. He went straight into the monster's face!However, the monster's speed was such a menace...even for him! 'This is bad...I can't risk getting you to take my form either. You don't have enough energy yourself.''You're a fool if you think I can't grow stronger. Did you forget I am literally a part of the universe? Let me stay still for a while, I will absorb some force for you.''You...can do that?''When I'm in shape myself,